the northern sector however, the Nationalists were forced back, away from Vaciamadrid and the Madrid–Valencia road. Further Republican counter-attacks followed between 23 and 27 February. General Gal ordered another attempt to storm the Nationalist strongpoint at Pingarrón. The Republican forces involved included 450 Americans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade under Robert Merriman. The inexperienced troops, advancing without artillery or air support, marched towards the Nationalist lines and were gunned down. Poet Charles Donnelly (part of an Irish contingent known as the Connolly Column) was heard to remark, "even the olives are bleeding", before being gunned down by a burst of machine gun fire and killed. Captain Merriman was among those wounded. The Americans lost 120 dead and 175 wounded, or 66% casualties. The heavy casualties caused many of the demoralized Republicans to mutiny. Other Republican units put down the mutineers and brought them to a cave for a court-martial, but before a sentence could be decided on, Pavlov, the Soviet tank commander, stopped the trial. Aftermath By the end of February the front lines had stabilized, with both sides consolidating and fortifying their positions to the point where no useful assault could be undertaken. Nationalists and Republicans alike had suffered very heavy losses (of between 6,000 and 25,000 each, depending on different estimates). In addition, their troops were exhausted and low on ammunition and food. Although the Nationalists succeeded in crossing the river and resisted all efforts to dislodge them from their footholds on the other side, the Madrid–Valencia road remained out of reach and firmly in Republican hands. Consequently, the area lost much of its strategic importance and merged into the wider front, lined with trenches and reminiscent of the static struggle of the Western Front during the First World War. In March, the Italian Expeditionary Army was likewise thrown back at Guadalajara, ending Franco's hopes of cutting off Madrid. See also Jarama Valley (song) "Yank" Levy List of Spanish Republican military equipment of the Spanish Civil War List of Spanish Nationalist military equipment of the Spanish Civil War Notes References External links George Leeson, Irish born volunteer – writing in 1947 on 10th anniversary of Jarama British Volunteers, International Brigade, Battle of Jarama Website created by John Corcoran on the British and Irish International Brigade positions at Jarama as they were in the early years of the 21st Century. La Batalla del Jarama (Spanish) Archivo de Arganda del